Virtual angle-of-arrival/angle-of-departure tracking

Abstract

In some aspects, the disclosure is directed to methods and systems for virtual angle-of-arrival (AoA) or angle-of-departure (AoD) tracking for virtually tracking multiple Targets. The wireless devices (e.g. Tracker and Targets) may participate in a mesh configuration and share data within the mesh. A first device may purport to be a virtual tracker, while acting as an AoA or Angle of Departure (AoD) Target. The devices being tracked (e.g. virtual targets), may instead operate as Trackers. Processor- and energy-intensive calculations may be distributed to the virtual targets and transmitted via the mesh for aggregation at the virtual tracker.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method for virtual angle-of-arrival tracking, comprising:
 broadcasting, by a wireless interface of a first device configured as a virtual tracker to one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, a tracking sequence; 
 receiving, by the wireless interface of the first device, from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, an angle-of-arrival measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence; 
 rebroadcasting, by the wireless interface of the first device, the tracking sequence, responsive to receiving fewer than a predetermined threshold number of angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices; and 
 calculating, by a processor of the first device, from an aggregation of the received angle-of-arrival measurements, a position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring, by the wireless interface of the first device, an angle-of-arrival at the first device of each of the received angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein calculating the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices is further based on the measured angle-of-arrival at the first device of each of the received angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the wireless interface of the first device, from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, an angle-of-departure measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein calculating the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices is further based on the received angle-of-departure measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein broadcasting the tracking sequence further comprises broadcasting signals at a plurality of operating frequencies. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices further comprises determining an angle to each of the one or more additional devices equivalent to an angle-of-arrival identified in a corresponding measurement. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, a received signal strength measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein calculating the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices is further responsive to the received signal strength measurements. 
     
     
       10. A system for virtual angle-of-arrival tracking, comprising:
 a first device comprising a wireless interface and a controller; 
 wherein the wireless interface is configured to:
 broadcast, as a virtual tracker to one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, a tracking sequence, 
 receive, from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, an angle-of-arrival measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence, and 
 rebroadcast the tracking sequence, responsive to receiving fewer than a predetermined threshold number of angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices; and 
 
 wherein the controller is configured to calculate, from an aggregation of the received angle-of-arrival measurements, a position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless interface is further configured to measure an angle-of-arrival at the first device of each of the received angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices based on the measured angle-of-arrival at the first device of each of the received angle-of-arrival measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, an angle-of-departure measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices based on the received angle-of-departure measurements from the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless interface is further configured to broadcasting the tracking sequence at a plurality of operating frequencies. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices by determining an angle to each of the one or more additional devices equivalent to an angle-of-arrival identified in a corresponding measurement. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive, from each of the one or more additional devices configured as virtual targets, a received signal strength measurement by said additional device of the broadcast tracking sequence. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the position of the first device relative to each of the one or more additional devices is further responsive to the received signal strength measurements.